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Summary
After the declaration of war in April, the Spanish fleet was quickly sent to Cuba under Admiral Pascual Cervera. The 10 boats in Cervera’s command were in truly horrible condition. Of the 10 rotting ships, only 7 made it to Cuba. The other three had to be abandoned along the way. Despite the rather pathetic nature of the Spanish fleet, Americans on the Eastern seaboard became very frightened of a potential Spanish invasion of the US. Eventually, Cervera’s decrepit fleet limped into Santiago harbor in Cuba, where they were blockaded by the US Navy.
With the Spanish fleet contained, the US planned a landing of the US Army, which would then attack the Spanish from the rear. The landing was made under the command of General William R. Shafter, a veteran of the Civil War, whose physical condition was poor and whose logistics and strategy talents were quite out of date. The US had absolutely no experience fighting in the tropics, and the unprepared US Army showed up in Cuba with vast supplies of wool clothing.
Better equipped for the job in Cuba were the famous “Rough Riders,” a disparate group of volunteers fighting for the US. Most of them were cowboys, but all kinds of colorful characters, from the wealthy thrill-seekers to former criminals, found their way into the unit, which was commanded by Colonel Leonard Wood. The Rough Rider officer best remembered, however, was no doubt Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt, ever a fan of strenuous activity and competition, had resigned his post as Assistant Secretary of the Navy to fight in the war. Roosevelt had absolutely no military experience, and the military had even had to bend some rules to let him in with his extreme nearsightedness. Keeping enough glasses on hand for Roosevelt, so he could still see when the ones he was wearing broke, was a difficult task.
US forces landed at Santiago without having to fight the Spanish, as the Spanish proved even more confused than the Americans. On July 1, 1898, the first major land battles of the war were fought at El Caney and at San Juan Hill. The Battle of San Juan Hill was famous because the “Rough Riders,” walking since many of their horses did not arrive in Cuba, charged up the hill. The battle was soon immortalized in a Frederic Remington painting. The US won both battles, though the “Rough Riders” suffered heavy losses. Roosevelt reportedly enjoyed himself immensely, and even shot a Spanish soldier. These battles, though tinged with a lack of order on both sides, proved decisive.
Now that the war was almost over, the US quickly moved to occupy Spanish-owned Puerto Rico. On August 12, 1898, the Spanish signed an armistice ending the fighting.
Analysis
Despite the “Rough Riders” famous legacy, both they and the US Army were so disorganized and unprepared that only about half of the troop made it from Tampa Bay, Florida to the landing at Santiago. And although the “Rough Riders” were organized as a cavalry unit, very few of their horses actually made it to Cuba. As a result, most of the “Rough Riders” actually walked rather than rode during the war. That the war went so well for the US was virtually a miracle given the disorganization and poor planning that plagued the American military effort.
Along with the heroic exploits of the “Rough Riders,” two Black regiments played a crucial role in winning San Juan Hill. The famous “charge” up San Juan Hill was made on foot, since so few horses had made it to Cuba.
After the battles of El Caney and San Juan Hill, Admiral Cervera, commanding the Spanish fleet, was ready to surrender. With his old ships rotting and the land army facing defeats, Cervera knew he could not win. Nevertheless, Spanish leaders ordered him to continue fighting to preserve Spanish honor. By July 3, continuing the trend of US naval dominance, his fleet had been utterly destroyed. In the naval battles, 500 Spanish sailors lost their lives while only one American died.
When it seemed like the war would be over soon, the US moved quickly to send forces into Spanish-controlled Puerto Rico and took the island with minimal conflict. The American forces, under General Nelson A. Miles, were welcomed by the Puerto Ricans as liberators. But liberation was far from what the US had in store for Puerto Rico. Since it was not bound by the Teller Amendment in Puerto Rico, the US could keep the island as a colony.
The armistice came just in time for the US. Although the US was defeating the Spanish army, disease was coming close to defeating the US Army. Malaria, typhoid, dysentery, and yellow fever were plaguing American troops who were fighting in the tropics for the first time. In all, while the Spanish only killed about 400 American soldiers, around 5,000 US soldiers died from disease.
